PhD Positions in Journalism

Raket Webbyrå AB; Stockholms kommun; On-site; SEK 357,000 - 402,000; Full time

Job summary

A university in Sweden is seeking a PhD student in the field of Journalism to conduct innovative research. The position requires a second-cycle degree and proficiency in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, or English. Applicants must submit a research proposal outlining their study plans. This is a fixed-term position with opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration and courses in the Doctoral School of Humanities.

Qualifications

• Must have a second-cycle degree or equivalent with relevant coursework.
• Fluency in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish or English required.
• Ability to develop a research plan and conduct collaborative research.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research related to journalism and media studies.
• Develop and submit a research proposal.
• Engage in doctoral courses and limited teaching or administrative work.

Skills

Research planning

Analytical skills

Collaboration

Fluency in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish or English

Education

Second-cycle degree or equivalent

At least 30 higher education credits in Journalism

Degree project of at least 15 credits

Job description

The Department of Media Studies is one of the largest departments within the Faculty of Humanities, with nearly 80 employees and 850 full-time students. The department has four undergraduate and graduate subject areas: Cinema Studies, Fashion Studies, Journalism, and Media & Communication Studies. These are organised into three divisions: Cinema Studies; Journalism, Media & Communication (JMK); and Fashion. For more information about areas of research and studies, seewww.ims.su.se.

Subject area

Despite the dramatic changes in media systems in recent decades, journalism still constitutes the primary source of information for most citizens. Our research highlights how the societal roles and professional ideals of journalism have shifted over time and in different geographical contexts, often by emphasizing the dependencies of journalism on other societal institutions, both political and economic. Current journalism research at JMK is characterized by methodological diversity, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches, often with a particular focus on the consequences of digitalization. Consequently, our journalism research resides at the intersection of social science and humanistic traditions. We value dialogue and collaboration with the media industry and the public, and we place great importance on integrating current journalism research into the education of future journalists. Many research projects in the field are carried out in collaboration with researchers in Media and Communication Studies at the department.

Journalism research at JMK is conducted within three main areas:

• Contemporary and Historical Developments of Journalism
• Investigative Journalism, Disinformation, and Digital Source Criticism
• Journalism, Digital Platforms, and Social Media

We would like you, the applicant, to relate your proposed project to one or more of the main areas and clarify how it contributes to these, and/or that you clarify how your project otherwise contributes to the overall research orientation within the subject area at the department.

As a doctoral student in the Faculty of Humanities, you have the opportunity to participate in courses offered by the Doctoral School in the Humanities, with themes characterized by multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborations. The unit for Journalism, Media and Communication, JMK, is also connected to the national research network TRAIN, which offers doctoral courses and conferences encompassing the disciplines of Journalism as well as Media and Communication Studies.

Qualification requirements

In order to be admitted to postgraduate education, the applicant must have the general and specific entry requirements. The qualification requirements must be met by the deadline for application.

You meet the general entry requirements if you have completed a second-cycle degree, or completed courses equivalent to at least 240 higher education credits, of which 60 credits must be in the second cycle, or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.

Specific entry requirements are described in the general syllabus for doctoral studies in journalism. In order to meet the specific entry requirements the general syllabus stipulates that applicants must have received a passing grade in coursework of at least 30 higher education credits from the second cycle in Journalism, including a degree project of at least 15 credits.

In addition, the applicant is required to be proficient in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish or English. This includes the ability to read, speak, and write in any of these languages.

The eligibility requirements can also be met by those who acquired substantially equivalent competence in Sweden or elsewhere.

Assessment of equivalent competence is, if needed, conducted by an admission committee and decisions are made by the department board.

Selection

The selection among the eligible candidates will be based on their capacity to benefit from the doctoral training. The following criteria will be used to assess this capacity:

• Previous education in general. Assessment of both depth and breadth of previous education.
• Previous scholarly production. This is assessed based on a Bachelor’s thesis, a Master’s thesis, if relevant also other academic papers, and the potential of the applicant to benefit from the doctoral program. The assessment also takes into consideration the issue of time, that is the extent to which the applicant has shown an ability to complete his or her previous scholarly obligations within given time frames. In addition to this, consideration will be given to the extent to which the applicant provides evidence of development over time concerning their academic proficiency. The scholarly production is judged in relation to critical and analytical ability, independence and creativity.
• The applicant must enclose a research plan that should cover the research aims and an outline of the research project. The research plan is to be assessed according to its relevance, originality, and feasibility within a given period of time (that is full-time work during a four-year period of doctoral studies).
• Availability of supervision.
• Ability to collaborate. The ability of the applicant to collaborate with others will be determined by personal references, certificates or through interview.

About the post

We offer a fixed-term employment as a doctoral student according to Chapter 5 of the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100). The period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for four years. As a doctoral student, you should primarily devote yourself to your own doctoral education, but the employment may include work with education, research and administration to a limited extent (maximum 20 %).

A new employment as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, the employment is then renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact

For more information, please contact Head of the Department, Professor Tore West, [e-mail]. Further information about the position can be obtained from the Director of Doctoral Studies, Professor Anna Roosvall, [e-mail].

Application

Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University’s recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

Please include the following information with your application:

• Your contact details and personal data

and, in addition, please include the following documents:

• CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of degree projects/theses
• Research proposal (1000-2000 words), describing:
  • research area and research problem
  • why and how you wish to conduct the project, and more specifically:
  • based on what theories?
  • with the help of what methods?
  • including what kind(s) of material?
  • towards what goal?
• Degree certificates and grades confirming that you meet the general and specific entry requirements (no more than 6 files)
• Letters of recommendation (no more than 6 files)
• Degree projects/theses (no more than 6 files).